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Totally worth it! I love mine now

Most people are pretty split on this topic. Some think it's hot and others think it's disgusting. I can only say that do it if YOU like it and do not worry abot what your future boyfirend/girlfriend will say about it because it is your body and anyone you are with should just respect that, at least in the beginning.

So as far as the actual piercing goes, it is pretty simple, most body piercings are when they're done right.

1. The most important thing is to pick a reputable establishment. I cannot stress how essential this is. You are entrusting a stranger to put a needle through one of the most sensitive parts of your body. It should be someone that makes you feel at ease and that you can trust to be sterile and professional.

2. Don't be shy. Yes, you will have to bare all, but don't stress. They see guys and girls naked all day long. It's like going to the doctor. Trust me, they are not checking you out while they poke holes in you.

3. Research before you go. Knowledge is powerful. If you read up on how it is supposed to be done then you can prevent painful mistakes.

4. WIll it hurt? Well, everyone's pain threshold is different, but yes. Chances are it is going to hurt. Factors such as placement of the jewelery, nipple sensitivity, and pain tolerance will determine just how much it will hurt. I have found that this was one of the most painful piercings i have ever gotten though not unbearable or enough to make me cry.

SOooooo...how is it done?Well, first everything is taken out of sterile packaging and set up (this should always be done in front of you! If it is not, then REQUEST that you see it done again. If they are a good place this should not be a problem. If you ever go to any tattoo/piercing place that refuses to do so, LEAVE! )

Then they will put some rubbing alcohol or such on the nipple to get it hard, they might blow cold air on it.

Then they will mark the spot where they will put the needle. It might be different for men, i have no idea, but for women, the bar will go right through where the nipple meets the areola.

Then the needle is put through and the jewelery soon follows.

It will take 4 months to a year to heal completely, but should be settling down after 2 weeks or so. During the initial healing try not to play with it or get anything on it (no saliva ;) Just wash it with some plain antibacterial soap iin the shower twice a day to get rid of the crusties if there are any and then LEAVE IT ALONE! the worst thing anyone can do to any piercing is to get it all aggitated by switching out jewelery before it is healed, playing with it, or touching it with dirty hands. There might be some blood or discharge initially but don't worry about that, just clean it in the shower and thats it.

If you have any trouble with your new nipple piercing, go back to your piercer before you go to a docter. A doctor will almost always tell you to just take it out. Your piercer should be eager to help you because your experience with them can affect future work for them.

PRETTY SIMPLE!

If you are concerned about breastfeeding or anything like that i would not worry too much. While i certainly encourage you to do your own researching, nothing in mine gave me much to fret over.

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A beginners guide to lip piercings by yours truly!

There are many different types of lip piercing, the most common being the labret which is situated below the lower lip, in the center. Here are some other common lip piercings:

Snake bites - 2 piercings either side of the lower lip.

Spider bites - 2 piercings either side of the lower lip and 1 piercing in the center (snakebites, plus labret).

Venom bites - 2 piercings below the lower lip that are side by side.

Medusa - Between the nose and the lips.

Madonna/Monroe - Above the lips and to the side. Much like a beauty spot.

Horizontal labret - Below the lower lip, in the center, across the skin as appose to through the skin into the mouth.

Vertical labret - Goes through the lower lip and comes out of the skin below the lower lip.

I would not advise piercing your lip yourself or letting somebody pierce your lip who is not a professional. Do not go to a piercer who uses a gun for lip piercing. A gun crushes the cartilage, where as a needle pushes the cartilage out. Piercing guns are not sterile and are absolutely not suitable for piercing anything other than earlobes. Always go to a professional piercing studio that you trust and that has a good reputation.

A standard single lip piercing usually costs around £25 - £35.

Here is the general procedure for getting a lip piercing:

- You will need to sign a consent form. If you are under 16 (18 in some places) you will need a parent to sign on your behalf

- The piercer will sit you down, put on a pair of gloves on and prepare the sterilised equipment

- Your lip area will be wiped clean with an antiseptic wipe and a spot will be marked with a felt tip pen. Some piercing studios rub a numbing cream onto the area, some prefer to do it naturally

- Your lip will then be clamped and a needle will be pushed through. The jewellery will then be inserted (sometime you can choose the jewellery, other times the jewellery comes as standard). It will be over within a few seconds

- The new piercing will be cleaned up and you'll be given an aftercare sheet.

If you look after your piercing properly it will heal up within 2 - 3 months. When you get pierced you will be fitted with bigger jewellery than you'll usually wear - this is to make way for any swelling. After the healing period is over you can change your jewellery for something a little more tactful.

Follow these simple rules for a speedy and successful healing process:

- Clean the piercing twice a day.

- Make up a salt solution (one teaspoon of sea salt into a cup of warm water) and use a cotton bud to clean off any crust and pus from your piercing. Use the other end to dab it dry.

- Do not touch your piercing, other than when cleaning it.

- Do not remove the jewellery during healing.

- Do not switch the jewellery during healing.

- Do not sleep on your piercing and make sure your pillows are clean.

Do not drink or take any form of pain killers before a piercing as this will thin your blood and could make you bleed excessively. Pain killers after the piercing are fine.

Like all piercings there are always risks associated which can include infection, nerve damage, excessive bleeding and cross-contamination. Though if you choose a trusted, professional piercer and look after your piercing correctly these can all be avoided. If you are allergic to certain types of jewellery make sure you tell the piercer beforehand and also be aware that you cannot give blood for up to a year after getting pierced.

If you follow this guide you should be in for a pleasant experience and a piercing to be proud of.

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the reasoning behind my piercings

Everybody has different opinions when it comes to body piercing, as people do with the majority of things. If we all didn't have our own opinions on things then the world wouldn't have the drama and events it does today. I know from just listening to friends and family that people have so many different opinions and thoughts on body piercing.

I'm one of them people who actually love piercings, in moderation though. I find it unattractive and quite an eyesore when somebody has drastic piercings EVERYWHERE or more than one piercing in one particular place e.g three eyebrow bars in one eyebrow. I personally think I like body piercings on myself as for some reason it boosts my confidence a little, same with tatoos. I've always been the overweight girl and always walked round like a lost sheep as I never followed any of the girly trends, you know everything pink, glitter eyeshadow, boyfriends. Don't get me wrong I liked it all but I was the outcast when it come to the popular girls and whenever I tried doing something the same as them I was always bullied and told it was "wrong". Because of this, despite me only being such a young age say 12-15, I came out of my shell a little when I decided these little girls did not decide when I did something wrong etc so I thought I'd do something different and have some piercings (and tatoos).

A piercing helped me feel good about myself. I always found I had piercings before any of the "popular" girls in school, so for once I was the one who stood out and had a bit of attention and became popular for a short length of time. See even though I was the overweight girl, and not the prettiest in their dolled up eyes I still enjoyed the attention and limelight from other kids. Even now I can admit I'm still the same.

Obviously this isn't the reasoning behing everybody's body piercings, but I wanted to let you all know my reason. The reactions I've had have been many but I love every single one of my piercings whether other people agree with them or not.

When I was about 14 it seemed all the girls in my school were having their noses piercing, so I wanted to follow trend and have mine done. For some reason my Dad wouldn't let me have it done. I was devastated to be perfectly honest, how was I ever going to fit in. Now I say for some reason he wouldn't let me have it done because strangely he turned around and said I could have my tongue pierced? I LOVED the thought! I would of been the first girl in my school year to have their tongue pierced, break the trend and have everyones attention. I told all my friends I was having it done and word soon got around. I went into my local piercing shop and asked for my tongue done. They prepared everything and told me to poke my tongue out and curl it up. So I sat there, poked my tongue out and thought I was curling it up. I was told repeatedly I needed to curl my tongue up, well I thought I was, my tongue was normal to me. My tongue then had to be checked to which I was told I was tongue tied and wasn't able to have it pierced as it may affect my speech and possibly split my tongue. I don't know which was worse the fact I was gutted I couldn't have it done or the fact I knew I was going to have plenty of jip in school when they realised there was no bar twice the size of my mouth rammed through my tongue (lol).

In case your wonder when you are tongue tied it's where the tongue tissues (or the skin underneath the tongue as I call it) isn't positioned properly which restricts the tongues movement. This means I can only poke it so far, I call it a short tongue. A tongue tie is usually noticed when you are born and can be removed as it is said it can cause feeding, tooth and speech problems, depending on how far forward the skin is to the tip of the tongue. Unfortunately I wasn't special enough as a baby to be noticed (lol) and it wasn't removed but I have had no problems with feeding, with my teeth or with my speech, I should know as I don't shutup! It can be removed when you are older and you consult a doctor but only if it is causing alot of problems as it is also known to hurt.

All this though didn't stop me wanting more piercings, I say more as I already had my ears done 3 times either side at the bottom and twice each side at the top. The ears were the norm though, I wanted to be different. Now here are all my other piercings I have had through the years.

I then went and had my tragus pierced, this is the part of the ear at the entrance of the ear canal. It takes 8-16 weeks to heal. I also had problems sleeping on that side until it felt normal.

My belly button, top and the bottom. Both unfortunately grew out after just months and due to putting on weight again I decided not to embarass myself and have them re-pierced.

I then had my Conch pierced, this is what I think we would all call the back of the ear or maybe the inside. This piercing takes roughly 8-16 weeks to heal. It does hurt to sleep on so I had to keep sleeping on the other side until it felt fine. You can either have a bar or a hoop in it also.

Another part of my ears the Forward Pinna, this is the beginning of your ear that starts at the top of your ear by the side of your head. Again it takes roughly 8-16 weeks to heal and also causes slight problems when lying on it.

I have had both my eyebrows pierced numerous amount of times, due to either my body rejecting them and them growing out or me just getting bored of it and taking it out. The eyebrow piercing takes 4-8 weeks to heal.

The Madonna piercing - This is your upper lip usually situated where most people would probably know a 'beauty mole' or 'beauty mark' to be. This takes 4 - 12 weeks to heal.

My Nipples - I had my one pierced 5 years ago, but because I was having a C-Section with my twins I was told I had to take all jewellery out including my nipple bar which I was a bit disapointed with as it was my favourite piercing. Unfortunately it closed really quickly, and I had to wait over 12weeks before I could have the same nipple pierced again, so impatient me had the other nipple pierced instead. This piercing takes 4-12 weeks to heal.

Last but not least my Hood, this is the the top hood of the labia which is known to cover the clitoris. WHYYYY!?!? I can hear you all saying. I have wanted this done for so long I can't even tell you why, maybe so I can just say I have it done and it makes me feel good saying it. Well last week I plucked up the courage to have it pierced and for anybody interested (Lol) It didn't hurt half as much as I thought it would. It takes 6-8 weeks to heal. Genital piercings can heal quite quickly, so long as kept cool and dry and not aggrevated purposely.

Of course there are plenty more places on the body you can surprisingly have pierced and many tatoo and piercing studios will all give you similar on advice on how to keep piercings clean to allow the healing process and how long they actually take to heal. I havn't said whether any of these hurt or not (apart from my most recent piercing) as yes they all did hurt, but everybody is different when it comes to pain and experience it in different ways and feelings. What I find agonising, may not be half as bad for somebody else.

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Its your body!

This review will most probably be similar to my bodt tattoos review, as they can be loved or hated. I myself have at this moment in time, only a lip piercing, although i plan to have a few more in the near future. The whole body piercing issue is frowned upon by the majority of people, because 'who would wanna put metal through a hole in your skin?'. This is a completely acceptable way to feel about them, i actually thought this when i first saw one. Its more the people who go over the top and have tens of piercings coming out of every part of their body thats ruins the image. For example, getting your ears piercings is exactly the same as having your lip pierced, just in a different place, yet because ears are more common, the lip attracts the wrong kind of attention. Basically a small number of piercings in my opinion is fine, but i understand they can get addictive. Anyone with more than 6 i say ruins the whole image of body piercings, and yet again creates the negative stereotype for body modifications.

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individual opinions

I remember when i was younger i wanted bellybutton, nose, tongue, chin and top lip peirced, i begged and begged my mum and she had her foot down the ears were for piercing and nothing else, i was so close to going and having it done behind my mums back but i couldnt afford to pay for it without mum paying and that was totally not even a thought.inow i am older i am so glad my mum put her foot down with me, i think on certain people it looks realy good, and if thats what floats ya boat then who are we to judge each other, its how you feel comfortable at the end of the day but i personally am glad i didnt have any of it done, and when im 80 odd i think ill be even more greatfull. Alot of teenage girls now have bellybutton, tongue etc peirced and im so glad i didnt follow that crowd.

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do your research!!

There are many different kinds of body piercing; the main important thing to look for is a licensed body piercer who knows what products and procedures to use, as lots can go wrong when done using the wrong materials or don't know the right placement of the jewellery etc.

When I did some research for mine; I called up all the local places, also had a good look around the shop in person, as I wanted to make sure that they were hygienic and compliant with health and safety, as not all the places are practicing correctly.

So, the safest material to use is titanium and places who use surgical steel shouldn't really be doing that, as it can cause adverse reactions, especially with more sensitive procedures. They must also be able to advise on aftercare and the best placement for the new jewellery.

There are the more common piercings like ear piercing; whist its ok to use a gun for the ear lobes, the top part of the ears or anywhere where there is cartilage, needs to be done with a needle, as a gun could damage due to the impact.

Nasal piercings should also be done with a needle, as guns can cause the cartilage to deform. Also, anaesthetic cannot be used for any piercing from the neck up, so that might be important to keep in mind for those who are a bit unsure or scared.

The anaesthetic doesn't cause you not to feel anything at all however, but does take the sting off a bit. Depending what you have done, you'll still be able to feel the needle with the anaesthetic but it's less painful than without.

I think you should also check the age requirements and whether you need to bring a consenting adult etc.

You'll be advised about the best choice for jewellery and choose one that you won't mind not being able to change for the first 3 months or longer, as you cannot change them during the healing period.

There are loads of pictures, personal experience stories and message boards online so if you're thinking about having anything done, do your research I say, as you don't want to end up with a funny scar from an unwanted piercing. And whilst they are removable, have a good think if you're going to want it for a little while as they do take months to heal.

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Great for those who want something a little different and are prepared to work for it!

Well, i have several piercings. I went through a 'piercing stage' when i was around 16 and just got a hole shoved through anything which stayed still long enough!

I understand many people have their belly buttons or tounges done, but i thought id give a little information about one of my more interesting piercings.. the nape.

A nape piercing is placed on the back on your neck between the hairline and shoulders, normally centrally. the length of the piercing can vary according to taste, but most I have ever seen are around 3/4 of an inch long.

This type of piercing belongs to the 'surface piercing' group. A surface piercing is one which doesn't go through a piece of skin, but is made just underneath the surface of the skin, going along rather than through. Piercings of this kind are much less common (and take a more skillful piercer) than standard ones. The predominant reason for this is that they tend to not last as long as many other piercings. Due to the placement, the skin tends to push out the bar through the skin, otherwise know as 'rejecting' the piercing. Rather than just sticking a needle through your nose and washing it twice a day and viola! these require extra TLC and looking after to make them last.

Some people will tell you its impossible to make a piercing of this kind stick, however i have had my nape piercing nearly six years now.

The piercing!~~~~~~~~~I walked in to the studio (Bloodline in Conniburrow, Central Milton Keynes) and booked myself in for the nape. The type of bar used here was why i chose this studio. Many experts will use a flat, long bar, but here they used a 'staple' bar. I think this is what has made the real difference with the longevity of my piercing. A staple is how it sounds, shaped like a staple with a ball on either point! I picked a lovely purple one :)

The area was disinfected and marked out. Then you need to take a deep breath and as you breath out the needle will be half way through. Another deep breath and bam. your nearly there! A small retainer will be placed in the fresh piercing, then the staple will be fed through. This is a tiny bit uncomfortable but its all done so quickly its really not bad!

Then, the balls are on and your ready to go. This is where the hard part begins. As i said before, this piercing needs a good deal of TLC to stay. Your piercer will give you cleaning advice and its important to follow these to the letter! Keep the area clean, mind out with t-shirts and clothing and people with long hair, tie it up! Getting things caught in the nape can be the most painful.

Expect a little bruise for a few days but this will start to go. Dont panic if it takes a while to heal. It was probably 6 months before mine was completely free to move and touch (dont worry, it wont hurt all this time, it will just stay a little red!)

However, it really is worth it in the end. This piercing is eye-catching, unusual and looks great with some tattoo work around it ;) Although, if your mum is anything like mine, you will end up with the nickname 'Frankenstein' for sometime!!

My top tips for nape piercings~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- Relax, and listen to what the piercer is telling you to minimise pain during the piercing- Follow your cleaning instructions and remember - too much cleaning is as bad as too little!- If something is bothering you, go and see your piercer and explain your concerns. Its what they are there for!- Look when the pre-piercing marks are made - if you dont like where it is dont be afraid to said, you want it where you want it!- If you want something unusual and interesting and your prepared to care for it then i would say 100% go for it! If you want a more hideaway piercing with very little care needed, go for ears or belly button.- Be careful not to catch it. Ideally, get the piercing done in summer so you can wear vest tops, no top! - After the piercing has healed check every now and again for hair trapped around the bar as this can cause an infection

hope this helps, if you have any questions please feel free to email me!

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you should read my story

I had my first peircing at the age of six bye my mums best friend it was my ears and i loved having them peirced.

But when i was 13 i really wanted my eyebrow done so my mum toke me to the local peircer and i felt really wozy seeing the size of the needle and how thick it was after it was numbed i had it pierced after about 4 months i noticed the skin started to go transparent and dissapear and ended up ripping through.

And the following year i had my belly button periced and same again the skin started to get thiner and thinner and go see through.And found out this was happeing as my body hadent fully grown yet so if your under 18 its a waste of time getting parts peirced your still growing on.

I also had my above my lip pierced i must say was one of the best peircings i had done and aslso had my nose peirced which probally was a waste of time as it just falls out in your sleep and have to keep rememebering to cover it with a plaster for the first few weeks.

My last peircing was a disaster it was my labret and after about 4 months my gum started getting thinner and my tooth started to wobble as the bar was rubbing the gum away if you want this done this may happen to u to i found it a complete waste of money at 25.00 so i just stick to tattoos now.

Also my cousin had his tongue peirced and got rushed to our loacal a&e after his tongue tissue started to ooze out and later that week we found out some one had there private part peirced and the gentlemen dident even bother to clean the needle to peirce a young lady's tongue disgusting.

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I wouldnt get any more done.

The first body piercing I had was when I was 9 years old and I had my ears pierced. I had always wanted my ears pierced since being a very little girl but my Mother wouldn't let me have them done until I turned nine. So on my ninth birthday my Mum took me into a Jewellers shop in town to get them done. I remember feeling really scared while I was waiting but it was over and done with in no time and I was the owner of two beautiful stud earrings, of course I wanted dangly earrings but wasn't allowed to change them until my ears had healed!!! I couldn't stop looking at myself in the windows as we walked past!! I had to say that it didn't really hurt very much, the actual piercing stung for a second and afterwards my ears ached a little bit but it was a bearable pain. (Cant believe I can remember as far back as being nine!!)

The second piercing I had done was when I was fifteen years old and I had my nose pierced, which was all the rage at that time!! Although I have had piercings, I have a terrible needle phobia and can't look at the needle otherwise I pass out. So I went into a tattooist and requested my nose piercing, I lay back on the chair and closed my eyes. The man marked out the point on my nose and told me he was about to pierce it. OH MY GOD it was absolute agony!! My eyes immediately started pouring with water and my nose bled like I had been punched in it. The piercer advised me that this was perfectly normal and that the nose was a very sensitive area, well I wish I had of known how bad it would be a s I would never have had it done in the first place!! My nose bled for about 10 minutes after and at one point I actually felt like I was going to pass out. Finally it stopped enough for me to leave the shop and go home!!! I remember my nose was soooo sore for days afterwards, I couldn't even blow it and it was all swollen inside!!!

I am clearly a glutton for punishment as I then went on to have a third piercing when I was 19!! This time it was my tongue, again it was all the rage in my day and I felt like I needed to do it to make a statement!!! Now the shop numbed my tongue this time, they sprayed a banana flavour numbing agent on it and I was pleased to say that I didn't feel a thing when they pierced it. The put a metal bar through my tongue with a ball screwed onto each end so it didn't fall out. The first thing I remember when leaving the shop was that I couldn't speak properly!! The piercer warned me that it may take a couple of days to get my speech back to normal and that my tongue may swell slightly!! It was when I got home that my tongue then started to swell; it got so big that I could hardly talk!! But I was pleased that there wasn't any pain with this. The swelling went down after roughly a day and I could finally speak without sounding like I had a lisp!!!

My final piercing was when I was 21 and was my belly button. I had this done in tattooist in York. I have to say that this one was by far the most painful one I had. The needle was absolutely huge and once the piercing had been done they then had to thread some plastic though the hole to get the belly bar through. They did numb me so it wasn't painful but all the tugging and pulling made me feel sick, I nearly passed out but managed to hold it together!!! This piercing didn't last as I got a slight infection and my body rejected the belly bar, but being stupid I went back to another parlour and had it re-done. I am pleased to say that my belly button didn't drop out and that the piercing held the second time around!!!

Do I still have any of these piercings, I hear you ask?!! The answer is no!!! I still have the holes in my ears but I never really wear earrings as they annoy me so that was a waste of time!!! I took the stud out of my nose when they stopped being fashionable, that hole has now healed up, thank goodness!!! One day I was walking along when the ball from the end of my tongue stud fell off and I swallowed it!! I was then stupid enough to not replace the screw on ball so I removed the stud until I could get a replacement. Two days later the hole in my tongue had healed over, so i couldn't insert the stud again, I was quite disappointed as I really like my tongue stud but I never had it re-done.

I removed my belly bar when I was pregnant as my skin stretched that much I was afraid that it would rip out. I really like my belly button piercing so I tried to put the bar back in once my son was born but the hole had also healed up. I could probably have got it through if I had forced it but the thought made me want to vomit so I never bothered. I won't get it done again now as I don't really think it's necessary anymore, maybe I have grown up a bit!!!

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My opinion and personal experience of piercings

Piercing.

Piercing has always been a topic which greatly fascinates me. When I was at university studying psychology, my first choice for my final year dissertation was on piercing and social attitudes towards it in todays culture.

So when I reviewed someone else's opinions on body piercing, I started thinking maybe I should write my own review on it.

Now Wikipedia describes body piercing as "The practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn". How many people have looked at ear piercing in that kind of way? I imagine most people (myself included) see it as a way of wearing pretty jewellery in their ears to enhance their attractiveness (although even that sounds a bit pretentious).

Now I was 13 when I first had my ears pierced, my parents wouldn't let me have it done any earlier, and although at the time I remember thinking how unfair it was, and how others in my school already had their ears pierced, now I am pleased that I waited that long. Being 13 I was able to choose with some responsibility whether I wanted to have it done or not. It was a big day for me, we went to a piercing studio in a hairdressers salon, and I sat on the chair while the man got out the piercing gun and pierced my ears. I can also remember the day when I first took out the piercing studs (I think they are less gigantic now as they seemed to be then) and changed them for some earrings I had got as a birthday present - this is because I fainted! I remember asking my Mum to help me put these new earrings in as I was struggling, and while she was doing it I fainted! No idea why, and I have been fine changing my earrings ever since!

I am totally against babies and toddlers having their ears pierced, in fact I think even 8 year olds also look ridiculous with them pierced. In my opinion, and remember this is my opinion only, I think it looks really chavvy. There is also the argument about choice, and whether the parents have the right to make that choice on behalf of their children.

I think High School is a reasonable time in someones life to have their ears pierced (if they want it), while they are at primary school and even nursery I don't think it goes anyway towards enhancing their looks, more the opposite.

I had a second hole put in each of my ears in my first year at university. Again, this was done with a gun. This was in a random clothes shop in Coventry, and looking back, although I had no problems with the piercings, I would go to a proper body art place to get any future piercings done.

I had the top of my ear done at the original shop where my ears were pierced also in my first year at uni. I think this was partly down to freedom and expressing myself as an individual whilst at university.

In my second year, my boyfriend (and first love) broke my heart by cheating on me with my housemate, and it was shortly after this that I decided to go and have my nose pierced. I don't know what it was that made me do it, but something about doing it helped me get over him, maybe it was the changing of my appearance, I don't know, but it went some way towards making me feel better about myself, and nine years later I still have my noise piercing! My nose was pierced with a gun, but I have since found out that it isn't recommended for nose piercings or even ear piercing really, it is harder to clean a piercing gun for a start, so it is more sterile using a needle and then throwing it away. Also because the gun uses blunt force, it can shatter the surrounding cartilage and over time can cause the ear (or whatever) to deform, this is called "cauliflowering".

After university I came to live back with my parents for a year or so, and it was during that time that I decided to get my tongue pierced. It was something I had been thinking about for a while, and one day while I was out shopping, I walked over to the Tattooist and Body Piercing studio to ask about it. I was told it would cost £35 and they could fit me in that day. I decided to go away and think about it. Later on in the pub with my friends(we weren't drinking, just met for lunch) I told them about my trip, and how I thought I might go and get it done. It was quite funny, about 8 of us went down to the tattooist, and they all waited whilst I had it done.

They gave me some mouth wash to rinse around in my mouth which would numb my tongue (which it did) and then they got a clamp out and clamped my tongue. The needle was quite long, and I confess I closed my eyes at this point (it was hard to look the other way with it being right in my face in front of my eyes!) and the tongue bar was on the needle, as he pierced my tongue, the bar automatically slid into place. The bar was quite long, this is to compensate for the swelling afterwards. For 5 or 6 weeks after the piercing I needed to go back to get the bar changed for smaller and smaller ones as the swelling subsided.

I was advised to suck on ice cubes for the rest of the day and take pain killers as needed. They also advised me not to go out drinking as I might forget about it and do some damage. When I went home and showed my Mum (there was no hiding it as I couldn't speak properly) she was utterly horrified. I mean really horrified, I was quite surprised by her reaction as she is usually quite easy going and a bit wacky herself.

I remember I couldn't swallow very easily so eating was out of the question and even drinking was rather difficult, especially that first day. Taking pain killers was totally out of the question as swallowing was so difficult.

I eventually got used to it, the pain went and it all healed nicely, because the tongue is a muscle it is very fast healing, and the mouth is one of the cleanest parts of your body, so it is very unlikely that it will become infected.

I had my tongue piercing in for a year exactly. A year to the day that I had it done, I took it out, as it was annoying me. You know how you cringe when you hear nails being scraped down a blackboard? Well eating with metal cutlery was having the same affect on me when it clanged on my tongue bar, so eventually I took it out. I noticed that while it healed over the middle of my tongue healed first, so I could get the bar in the top and bottom of my tongue, but not through the middle. Now I had a little bubble underneath my tongue where the bar came out, but nothing else to show for it.

All in all, I am for freedom of expression, and I quite like body piercing, as long as it is not on babies or young children. Jewellery can be removed, unlike tattoos and therefore it is a semi permanent way of expressing yourself. I say semi permanent because you can always remove the jewellery, but may be left with a small hole depending on the type of piercing and how long you have had it.

The new craze which is taking off appears to be implanting, and I have seen several people with horns, or other shapes under their skin which have been implanted, and can then have jewellery screwed onto them.Interesting.

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More holes than a tetley tea bag!

Having a friend who is a tattoo artist and also a body piercer if that is the title they go by I thought I would bring to you my thoughts on the subject from a personal opinion to a point and then from a what I have heard from him opinion also.

Body piercing is not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination and in my much younger years I had both ears and my nose pierced, I appreciate that is not much piercing compared to some but you should have tried telling my dad that.

Now a days we see almost every young girl around with their ears pierced and that seems to be well accepted and I see no reason why not but when they start piercing other things at a young age we get concerned and again I think rightly so.

A person can have their tongue pierced from the age of fourteen as long as they have parental approval but if you listen to a few of the stories I have heard from my friend you will think that perhaps this should be changed.

He has told me once of a young mother he reckoned around 35 years old virtually forcing her daughter to have hers done (not by him I hasten to add).

He was very clear that had this happened in his studio he would have refused to go through with the piercing but the guy that was asked to pierce the girls tongue did so even though she was clearly terrified and being urged on by her mother.

The other story was of a young girl arriving like butter would not melt in her mouth with her doting father in tow giving his permission for his daughter to have this piercing done but after the father had gone and my friend was preparing to do her piercing he asked her why she had decided to get this done and her reply quite worryingly was my boyfriend says it will feel better when I give him a blow job, more worryingly it turns out her boyfriend was the one picking her back up and when my friend said oh so he drives does he, she replied yes he is 23.

So there we have two good reasons in my opinion why this body piercing culture should have stricter laws surrounding it but then there is the infections that can happen too. My friend told me of a horror story that happened to him a few years back when an 18 year old girl came in to have her clitoris pierced, after the piercing he explained how it had to be cared for until healed and also advised of no sex for the first 2 weeks.

After the girl suffered serious infection his studio was turned over by health and safety checking out his work practice but it turned out that the girl had gone out two days after getting pierced and picked up man who she had sex with on the beach after a nights clubbing and that was the reason the infection had set in.

So it is clear to me that for many reasons a strict age limit should be in place for this practice and also the whole image thing should be looked at carefully. I work in an office with a fair amount of young girls and listening to their outlooks on life makes me laugh, how if the other girls are getting pierced they simply have to and if one girl is having a tattoo then they are all having tattoo`s.

I am sure a lot of this still comes from the pressure of wanting to follow the models and stars in the magazines but a lot of it is also from wanting to outdo each other and a fear of being different.

I can remember when having lots of piercings made you look like a freak and you were the different one, the odd one out but it now seems to have gone full circle and if you are not full of holes then there is something wrong with you, or perhaps you are just scared to get it done? It is worrying how many people will go ahead and do something they really don't want to just to prove they are not scared.

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It's all worth it in the end, learn to embrace the pain dudettes!

Ok so this littel story starts at the age of about 13, I was drawing in a sketchbook and my fave thing to draw was, is and always has been, faces. So I drew a face and thought I'd draw a few piercings on one of which I had never seen done before but suddenly decided I absolutely definately wanted...I told my mum...i told my dad....I told anyone who was listening for the next 3 years but no one believed me. Why? because I was a massive wimp and had refused since the age of 5 to get my ears pierced despite my mum trying to persuade me on several occasions and despite being given pairs of earrings at christmas from her side of the family. I didn't buckle.

So the day came, my 16th birthday, I had briefed everyone pretty thouroughly that I was definately going to get this done, still my family just laughed and thought "nahhh". So I walked into the tattoo shop and asked for it "can I have my bridge pierced please?" the piercer looked at me like I'd just come inot her house on christmas and pissed on her kids. She asked me if I was sure and noticed I had no other piercings. I said yes and then she mentioned she had neve done one before (despite this being a really popular shop in chester) I wasn't phased by this and trusted her, i knew she had a good rep. So she told me to go to the shop and get a mars bar and a can of coke to make sure i wouldn't faint and off i went.

Upon my return she marked out the piercing and it was done in less than a couple of minutes and I was MEGA chuffed with it, it looked beautiful! and she was really good at keeping me calm etc. I thanked her and left only to return home to and absolutely histerical mother who freaked out and wouldn't let me back in the house. So I just went to my best mates for a couple of hours til she asked me to come back trying to bargain with me to take it out...i didn't and it remained there for the next 6 years.

Obviously after this happening i told my parents i would be getting more and they couldn't do anything about it, i think it's very important to lay down the rules to any parents with twisted views such as that your body is theirs and not your own. So over the coming years i got many, more than many piercings, all facial ones mind I'm thinking now and I think the grand total was 14.

The last one I got which will probably be the last one i will ever want was my septum. I got it done a couple of years ago by my best friend who just happens to be a piercer and tattooist. It hurt. It hurt so bad that I will never get it done again if I have to take it out, it hurt so much that I would rather get my armpit tattooed.

I have taken all my piercings out now except for my septum and a lovely pair of 28mm streched ear lobes, I did eventually get bored of most of my piercings but thats probably only because I'm iun the process now of getting extensiovely tattooed. It's all fun and i love it!

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Getting punctured. Piercing and me.

Thats what my mum told me when I was 12, and was begging her to let me get my ears pierced esspecially for the school disco.

I had my eye on a pair of silver hoops you see. I was positive that if I had those hoops, I would immediatly turn into Olivia Newton John.

Me and my mum always had a fairly good relationship, but in this instance, I was positive she was wrong, and got them done anyway.

That first experience of sitting in the hairdresser, and being punctured with that little gun, will never leave me.

I was immediatly forced to take them out mind, but it was too late.I was hooked.

I ended up, by the time I was fifteen, with seven holes in one ear, and five in the other. Mum by this point had given up.Dad asked me if the piercer was drunk, and couldnt comprehend why i had so many holes, in my little tiny ears.

My next piercing was my tummy button.My mum actually went with me for this one, as she believed it would be safer.Crazy mum logic right there.They did it with what looked like a great big knitting needle.I was the first girl in my class to have it done, and I felt incredibly cool.

Next was the nose.Bear in mind, this was 1999. It wasnt utterly chavtastic back then to have your nose pierced.The pain was incredible.Really. Nothing had hurt as badly as this.And dont even talk about getting it caught in flannels when washing.

Ouch.

When I was 17, and feeling rebellious, I got my lip pierced.Mum hated this one, and so did the boyfriend.As a result, I ended up taking it out, letting it heal, getting it redone, and then letting it heal again.You cant please everyone.

Further south.My left nip.

This one was the most pleasent, least painful.

My nip, however, didnt like the piercing, and rejected it. I had to take it out, and it left a lovely little white scar.

:(

Further further south.

For a dare, I got my naughty bits done.ow ow ow ow ow ow.

words cannot even describe. really.the pain was so intense, that it completely took away any indignity I was feeling.

This piercing healed within days, and really was as good as people claim it to be.sadly, it had to be taken out.

I went snowboarding, and getting from the top of the hill to the bottom was just too distracting.

Out it came.

I never could figure out how to put it back in.

That was my last piercing, and I havent had anything since.

Strangely, I dont actually wear any jewellery anymore, so all of my lovely little piercings are empty.

I do have to be careful though.

Everytime I walk past a tattoo parlour, I get a strange urge to go in.

Its a good job I have willpower, because otherwise, by now, i would look like a sieve.

:)

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Take responsibility for your own choices about your own body

I had my ear lobes pierced when I was around 8 years old. I'd wanted them done for ages and I nagged my mum to let me have them pierced even though my dad disliked the thought of having a hole purposefully put through your skin. My mum gave in to my pleading and took me to our local hairdresser who offered 'professional' piercing. It wasn't cheap, I can't remember how much it was as it was years and years ago and prices have changed since then, but it wasn't cheap. Mum insisted I go somewhere and get a decent, hygenic job done with proper jewellery that wouldn't leave my ears green. I don't remember if it hurt back then, but I was thrilled to have it done. I wasn't so thrilled however 3 weeks later when my ears started to swell. My mum ensured the antiseptic was used twice daily and the earrings turned each day like instructed, so we couldn't work out why my ears had gone red and puffy. Not long after that came the point where they had to come out... I was in tears in our living room whilst my mum and her friend tried their best to remove the earrings out of my already painfully sore ear lobes. It took hours and lots of crying and shouting. I had to let the holes heal up, although they had pretty much healed up around the earrings, and I left my ears alone for a few years.

When I got to around 13, I went to Claires Accessories and decided to try again. I got my lobes pierced with pretty studs that weren't stirling silver this time, in front of a shop full of people. My knees were shaking and I was petrified. Two women pierced my ears so that both could be done at the same time with the guns. It was over in a split second, didn't hurt as much as I'd thought, and they looked great. I had no problem with these. Last year I wanted to get another 2 lobe piercings per ear, and because it seems quite expencive in Claires these days (£25+ per ear I was told), I got it done when I was working in America. It was at a piercing stand, and wasn't done with any special metal jewellery, just basic titanium I think. It was extremely cheap and I worked out that for the 4 individual piercings it only cost me £8, inc. earrings. These looked wonderful and I've had no problems at all! Last week I had my cartilage done at a hairdressers for £4 inc. earring, but I thought it may be a bit dodgey. I had no antiseptic solution given to me, no medical questions asked, it was just in a chair, gun in and pierced within 2 seconds. Although it seemed a bit dodgey, it didn't hurt and the piercing seems fine, so I'm very happy!

It's not always the best option to go somewhere more expencive to get a good piercing, just ensure you look after the piercing well afterwards. Get yourself a good antiseptic solution and wash the piercing twice daily. Try to go around and over the piercing, as well as around the hole. Turn the studs and push them in and out slightly to ensure they're loose inside the hole as you don't want them to get stuck as it'll be very painful to remove. Always listen to any advice given to you - make sure you know how long to leave them in for before removing and make a note in a diary of when you got it done so you don't forget.

I'd like to get my lip pierced but there's always the problem of work. What if your employer doesn't approve and asks you to remove it? Not easy if it's newly done and it has to stay in for 12 weeks! I guess I'd like more done, but something holds me back. It's probably practical reasons like jobs, but I do think they look great on most people. Some people can be quite 'old fashioned' when it comes to piercings, like my dad, and wonder why you'd put yourself through scarring your body like that on purpose. I don't see it as particularily harmful, but that said, things can go wrong. You can get infections, belly rings can get ripped out, lip piercings can damage tooth enamel... so think all of these things through first. It's so exciting though to get a new piercing and look at the nice jewellery you can wear once the original piece is ready to be removed. It's a form of expression for many, a way of beautifying yourself and a way of getting something done for yourself because after all, it's your body.

Unlike tattoos, most piercings will heal quite quickly and you'll hardly know you had it done. So that's an added benefit incase anything goes wrong or you change your mind. At the end of the day, just be sensible and hygenic when it comes to piercings. If it's something you want done, then do it for yourself. Not for anyone else. Don't let yourself be talked out of it because someone doesn't approve or someone may sterotype you for a particular piercing (ie. an ear piercing in a man might be chav or a lip piercing may be goth/punk/emo). If it's something you've thought through, something you want, then it's your choice. It's your body so respect it and make sure it's what you want before you get it done. Just talking about this makes me want to get another cartilage piercing :o)

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I dont mind firing the gun it is quite painless I dont feel a thing!

I work in a shop that has a body piercing studio and it has really opened my eyes as to how many people want piercings nowadays, from eyebrows to belly bars, nipple rings and tongues.

The actual body piercings are done in a sterile studio but we insist on ID as proof of age because we refuse to pierce any one under the age of eighteen without a parents signed consent.

I believe the law is actually sixteen but we stick to the eighteen years rule just to be extra careful.

Over the last year I have noticed the demand for younger girls of twelve and thirteen wanting navel and tongue pierces it must be the fad for that age group at the moment but to be quite honest I would not have given permission for my twelve year old daughter to have it, how do they know their own mind and scar themselves at such a young age.

I suppose it is some peoples way of expressing themselves and I can think of far worse traits to be quite honest but a twelve year old with a tongue pierce? Parents what are you thinking of.

If ever you are tempted to have a piercing make sure that you go to a reputable piercing studio that is clean and follows all the hygiene rules.

I do not do the body piercing but I do pierce ears and noses with a gun. The demand is very high at the moment and it so easy to do.

I had about half a days training before I was let loose on a person believe it or not that was three years ago and I believe the training is still that quick today. I have strict rules about age even for a simple ear piercing, if they are under eighteen I ask for a parent to sign permission.

Ears are simple you clean the lobes with a solution then use a surgical pen to mark up exactly where you are going to put the studs. Using a gun you load the stud into the barrel and the backing onto the adapter supplied with every sterile set of studs.

A quick ping and it is done. I always recommend that people do not twist the studs as was advised years ago this is how the ears do get infected, just leave them alone.

I am not keen on piercing young babies ears yet it is amazing how many mothers want it done to their child, if it is a toddler that is asking for studs and it is happy to sit then I will agree to do it but young babies dont have a say do they and I feel that it is cruel. I dont actually say that to the parent I just say that I dont do it full stop.

The demand for top ear piercing is growing now, alot of the youngsters like five or six earrings going up the ear, I will only pierce up to two at a time on one ear because the ear does swell slightly and more than two would be a bit traumatic and would become infected.

Great care has to be taken with the top of the ear because there is grissle on the top, I normally check a persons lobe and if it is too grissly I just refuse to go so high it is better to be safe than sorry I have heard of ears collapsing because the piercing was done incorrectly.

Noses are quick and easy using a gun but only the stud is fired it is dangerous to put a back onto it.Great care has to be taken to place the gun correctly facing at an angle downwards to avoid hitting the noses cartilage I always have a box of tissues handy because it does make a persons eye water and if they are wearing make up they end up with mascara running down their face.

I have told you how easy it is to pierce ears and noses and it is done in seconds, people often ask me if it will hurt, the true answer to that is yes all piecings hurt and I suppose it depends on the individuals pain threshold.

Would I ever have my top ear pierced or a nose stud?I would definately not! I don't mind doing the piercing coz it doesn't hurt me!